IQALUIT - The Government of Nunavut's plan to improve child protection services following a scathing report by the auditor general is almost complete, according to a senior bureaucrat in Health and Social Services.

Assistant deputy minister Peter Ma, who recently transferred from the Department of Finance, said the action plan to address the auditor general's recommendations is 99 per cent complete but did not indicate when it would be released.

When pressed by MLAs to reveal his department's short term priorities Ma said this year HSS would try to reduce the caseload of social service workers and address human resource capacity issues.

Ma said seven offers for such positions, which are vacant in a number of communities, should be made shortly.

Auditor general Sheila Fraser appeared before the Standing Committee on Oversight of Government Operations and Public Accounts at the legislative assembly in Iqaluit on April 14 in relation to her report on children, youth and family programs and services issued at the beginning of March.

She reiterated the report's conclusion the Department of Health and Social Services did not "adequately meet key responsibilities for the protection and well-being of youth in the territory.

"We have to protect the child's best interests," said Fraser.

She emphasized safety checks and criminal record checks are not being done when a child is placed in foster care or is put up for adoption. Yearly safety checks of group homes are being left to the wayside and there is a lack of social service workers.

Fraser went on to say for both custom and private adoptions, files often go missing including criminal record checks and safety checks on potential homes where children would be living.

A comment echoed by many of the MLAs on the committee was whatever changes are made, they need to reflect Inuit societal values.

"The policies should be made in Nunavut and we need to give the opportunity to impact the people," said Louis Tapardjuk, Amittuq MLA.

He went on to say how program and services need to be developed in the North and not elsewhere.

"We need to stop assimilation."

Nanulik MLA Johnny Ningeongan said many of the traditional ways Inuit used to raise their children are no longer used.

He added that he thinks that is why so many social problems exist in Nunavut.

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